Now
that your city has been in flames for more than six months, your
families divided, and no end to the violence is in sight, I have decided
to write this short essay, in the form of an open letter, to the young
people of Hong Kong.

现在你们的城市既然已经焚烧了六个多月，你们的家庭也分裂了，但暴力的终结还未在望，我决定用公开信的形式，撰写这篇短文给香港的年轻人。

First of all, I want to ask: Why?

首先，我想问：为什么？

Why
all this smoke and fire, anger and violence? Were your lives, before
the so-called “protests”, or “riots”, really so dismal?

为什么有这么多烟，火，愤怒和暴力呢？在这些所谓“抗议”，或“暴动”发生之前，你们的生活真的是那么糟糕吗？

You
have been living in one of the richest cities on Earth. Even according
to Western evaluations, Hong Kong has one of the highest “freedom
indexes”, higher than that of most of Western countries.

你们一直生活在地球上最富有的城市之一。就算用西方的尺度来衡量，香港的“自由指数”也是最高之一，比起大部分的西方国家还要高。

Water
that comes from your taps is clean, the internet is extremely fast, and
public transportation is cheap and one of the best in the world. You
can enjoy an exciting cultural life, as well as great public spaces
constructed along your impressive coasts.

Naturally, Hong Kong is not a perfect place, as there are no perfect places on this planet.

当然，香港不是一个完美的地方，因为这个地球上是没有完美的地方的。

Your
housing is some of the most expensive in the world. Job opportunities
for college graduates are not really excellent. Some cities on the
Chinese mainland are now more exciting places to live, to create, and to
dream than “good old” Hong Kong. But still, it is a fascinating, solid
city, with its own culture, mindset and complex history. And in many
ways, it is a beautiful city; beautiful and unique.

So, why? What happened? Why suddenly such anger, and such frustration?

所以，为什么呢？发生了什么事？为什么突然这么愤怒，不满？

Should we talk? Please let’s.

我们应该对话吗？请吧。

When
waving the UK flags, nostalgically recalling your British masters and
their rule over Hong Kong, do you even think about some of the most
monstrous crimes committed in the history of humankind?

在挥动着英国国旗，依依不舍地怀念你们过去的英国主子和他们管有香港的时期，你们有没有一丁点儿想过人类历史上犯下的一些滔天大罪呢？

I
have worked in around 160 countries and territories, on all continents.
I have written about and filmed many wars and conflicts. I have been
covering revolutions and rebellions, but also terrible riots ignited by
Western countries. You probably have heard about the so-called “color
revolutions”, or the “Arab Spring”.

I
have witnessed, first hand, the fate of countries that have been
occupied and then thoroughly destroyed by the United States and North
Atlantic Treaty Organization: Afghanistan and Syria, Iraq and Colombia,
to name just a few. I have seen millions of ruined lives in nations
where the West overthrew left-wing governments, and then injected
fascism: places like Indonesia (1965), and Chile (1973). Now there is
nothing left of Indonesia; its nature is thoroughly ruined and the great
majority lives in misery. In Chile, people have stood up, and are
proudly fighting and dying for socialism which was stolen from them by
Western governments and corporations.

I
have lived and worked all over the African continent, the most
devastated part of the world, colonized and terrorized first by Europe,
and later by the US, for many centuries.

我曾经在非洲多处地方生活工作过。那是世上被蹂躏得最彻底的地方：多个世纪以来最初被欧洲，后来被美国施加殖民，恐怖统治。

In
Hong Kong, I see you waving flags of the US. You want that country to
“save you from China” — from your own nation, in essence. I have read a
translation of your school curriculum. It smears China, and it glorifies
the West. Were you told, ever, that in the name of that flag,
consisting of the stars and stripes, tens of millions of people,
worldwide, were murdered, democracies raped, and freedom of expression
horrendously oppressed? Or are you reading only what is brought to you
by Reuters and other Western press agencies?

When
waving the UK flags, nostalgically recalling your British masters and
their rule over Hong Kong, do you even think about some of the most
monstrous crimes committed in the history of humankind? On all
continents of the world, the British Empire murdered, humiliated,
violated and plundered hundreds of millions of people. Human beings were
reduced to slaves. Their lives, identities were reduced to nothing.

Were
you told this? Do you realize it? When you wave these flags, when your
leaders are taking bribes from the US and the EU establishment, do you
ever think what kind of money you are touching? Do you ever consider
that this money is soaked in blood?

I saw several of you demanding “independence from China”. I even witnessed some of you calling China a “terrorist” state.

我见到你们有几个人要求“脱离中国独立”。我甚至见证你们一些人称中国是一个“恐怖主义” 国家。

Have you ever, seriously, compared the Chinese political system to that so-called “democracy” of the West?

你们有没有认真地比较过中国的政治制度与西方的所谓“民主”呢？

Let
me give you a simple quiz: In the last decades, how many countries have
been attacked by China, and how many by the West? Just do a simple
calculation, please. It is so simple; so clear. How many countries have
been bombed to the ground, and thoroughly ruined by China, and how many
by the West?

And
democracy? In China, the government listens to its people. In reality,
democracy means nothing more than the direct translation from Greek —
rule of the people. In the People’s Republic of China, the government is
working to improve the lives of its citizens, while building a global
infrastructure for all (the Belt and Road Initiative). Now, look at the
West: Most of the citizens in North America and Europe hate their
system, but cannot get rid of it. Some of you regularly travel to the
West: Don’t you hear what the people are saying there?

In
the last two decades, China has lifted up hundreds of millions out of
poverty. In the West, the governments have buried billions of people in
misery in all their colonies. Despite of the terrible plunder of the
world, tens of millions are destitute at home, in both North America and
Europe.

Despite
of the not-too-high GDP per capita, China has almost no misery, while
tens of millions of the US citizens are living in poverty. There are
many more prisoners (per capita) in the US prisons, than in the Chinese
ones.

虽然人均国内生产总值不是很高，中国几乎没有极度贫困，但数以千万计的美国人生活贫困。以人均计算，困在美国监狱里的囚犯要比中国的多得多。

Many US prisons are now privatized: It is a big business. The more that are held behind bars, the bigger the profit!

现在很多美国监狱已经私有化：这是一门大生意。越多人收监，盈利越高。

Is this a system in which you’d want to live? Is it, really?

你们是想生活在这个制度中吗？是真的吗？

I
know the West very well. And I know China. These days, in Hong Kong,
some of you are waving Western flags, while insulting Beijing.

我对西方很熟悉。也认识中国。这些日子里，在香港，你们当中有些人挥动着西方旗帜，同时侮辱北京。

The West has the most powerful propaganda on Earth. It has the ability to twist everything, to call black white, and vice versa.

西方有地球上最有力的宣传工具。它有能力扭曲任何事情，指黑为白，或相反。

But frankly, it is Beijing that has the ability and desire to help solve the problems of Hong Kong.

但坦白说，有能力和有心解决香港问题的是北京。

Do
you really think that Washington, London or Berlin are genuinely
interested in helping your city? I am convinced that they only want to
break China, and to continue ruling over the world.

你们真的以为华盛顿，伦敦，柏林有诚意帮助你们的城市吗？我深信他们只想打垮中国，继续统治世界。

To
conclude this letter, let me say what has to be said. After speaking to
people that are now angrily waving black banners, as well as US and UK
flags, I realized that they know very little about the state of the
world. And, they do not want to listen to different points of view. When
confronted intellectually, they become violent.

Born losers are forever losers. Self-made losers are no better. Self-destruction taken as fighting for freedom is not freedom. Free of self-destruction is the real freedom.

Not knowing self is misery more pathetic than not knowing your motherland - the land that you originated and brought up to life.

A people that yearn for the grass that is greener over the other side, is a people self-condemned to misery both in their mind and in their heart. Waking up to this fact will be horror too shocking and unacceptable.

Therefore, there is no way out, except to surrender your idiocy to your wisdom, if you still have any.

Probably the above writer does not understand wat is inside the minds of these youngsters HKongers situation. Yes, they r being brainwashed by some foreigners, yes they r naive but they have to courage to go against the pro establishments, they viewed HK as hopeless under a authoritarian rule, if there isn't any revolt the situation could have been worse as they got no say & got to take instructions from the top. When u hv an authoritarian rule, many would juz go overseas or stay to revolt as rules & legislation can change by the authoritarian regime. Put it this way, if u owed a house of 50yrs, would u wait it to expire or find a buyer or fight to extend it? How would u feel when your boss or parents passed instructions without consulting your opinions? How would you feel u r treated like a small kid with parents nagging at u to do this or that? Think about it, cos u got to live in HK longer to really understand the situation, as outsiders we r difficult to comment in those situations.

The fiction of western democracy will lead to better life and Chinese rule will lead to less better life is deeply scratched onto the heads of the Hongkongers. Is this going to be going forward?

Hong Kong as a middleman city is on a decline and would only get worse. The housing problem would not change unless the central govt take affirmative actions against the landlords for their control of land to build cheaper housing.

China is progressing by leaps and bounds and is the future. China and China Chinese would lead better life than the Hongkongers going forward. China is an emerging star while Hong Kong is a fading star.

Hongkongers that did not want to live under Chinese rule are free to migrate to wherever they want. Creating unrest and thinking that China would allow Hong Kong to become a cancer to 1.4b people is fat hope. Hongkongers are price takers and have no bargaining chips to play. If they are really smart, they must adapt to the new reality and prosper with China or risk being kick out of China and a Hong Kong left to rot.

Anon u obviously did not read history nor understand history. I read the full article and there is nothing but the truth. Only a simpleton like u do not understand cause your brain is totally fuck up. U need the sodomizer to sodomize u to wake u up from years of brain washing.

Iranians consider the Americans as evil. But they have nothing against the Christian god. Jesus is recognised as a prophet by all muslims. The americans had unfortunately pretended to follow christian teaching. But. we know it is big hypocrisy, bending scripture to match the political agenda. As far as killing is concerned, historically both muslims and americans has been killing and killing for a very very long time. But the difference is that when the white man kills he is more skillful in hiding his guilt. They are better at PR. In actual fact everybody are killers, there is not a single innocent party.

You all fail to realise that if people in Singapore revolted their government, similar types of "open letters" will appear....along similar lines, for e.g.:

"I've lived in/ been to several cuntries... yours is one of the best...blah blah" "You're so lucky to have (list of goodies)....blah blah blah". "Why are you seeking help from (list western cuntries which were former colonists) which had a history is (list the colonial atrocities, leave out the good stuff).... blah blah blah..." ... and so on.

In every domestic event, you will get outside kapoh kias appearing to be "ex-spurts" who cannot wait to "give advice". Britain and the USA themselves should STAY OUT OF THIS and allow Hong Kongers and the CCP to deal with this themselves.

The more "outsiders" who enter the situation, the more fucked up it'll become. HK protesters have demonstrated they are well capable of this fight (whether you agree or not) and coming to some resolution with the CCP without the meddling of outsiders whether they are for or against the protestors or the CCP.

If something like that happens to Singapore, I think Singaporeans can do the job of SELF DETERMINATION without having the USA, China, Malaysia or who the fuck come into our business and kaypoh and kachau.

Get a soughtafter skill and migrate is better.Everywhere will want you. World is your oyster.After one cao cao is another cao cao.Cao cao can be white or yellow or brown or black.Skin color does not matter cos they like to go after own people.

Should the unimagined happened in SG with more alternate parties voted into parliament, I can imagine the same author writing the same article asking whether we know what we were doing when SG is almost like a paradise on earth? Asking how the one-party system could be bad when it has won every single election since independence? Asking why we cannot appreciate how good our system is compared to the corrupted system in other countries?

Oh well, if you want "peace", just stay with status-quo. Even then, in SG, things have changed beyond recognition in the name of "peace".

J.R.R. Tolkien“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo."So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss, another member of the SPP, described the Ministerial Committee as a “tragic joke”. “It is like the Boss of ...

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